


In Our Bedroom After the War

by redex_writes



Series: AWO Fictober 2020 [9]
Category: A Way Out (Video Game)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Fictober 2020, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Leo Caruso is a good dad, M/M, Obligatory proposal fic, Period-Typical Homophobia, Reunions, Vincent Moretti is a good dad, Weddings, a way out fictober 2020, fictober but make it late november, literally so much fluff, minor angst that's not really angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:01:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27683245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redex_writes/pseuds/redex_writes
Summary: “We’ve been through some shit.”Leo was looking at him with the same cautions, bemused look on his face. “Yeah, we have.”Vincent took a too-big sip of his drink, but managed to hold back a wince at the burn.“This isn’t where I thought I’d end up, you know. In bed with you, drinking shitty hotel coffee at the ‘ass crack of dawn.’”“All of those things are your fault,” Leo pointed out. Vincent rolled his eyes.“Maybe. But…”+++A few years after their lives were turned upside down, Leo and Vincent are happy. Even though their families are back in California, together they're strong enough to get through. When they travel cross-country to attend a wedding, some important realizations are made, leading to some big decisions.(Title from 'In Our Bedroom After the War' by the artist Stars)
Relationships: Leo Caruso/Vincent Moretti, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: AWO Fictober 2020 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1941064
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25
Collections: A Way Out Fictober 2020





	1. "Back up!"

**Author's Note:**

> And here it is: on one of the last days of November, the finale of the A Way Out Fictober 2020 Collaboration! After some of the prompts at the end of the list were unclaimed, I decided to put them all together into one fic, and this is the result. I'm going to be making an official tumblr post for the end of the collab, but for now, enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vincent and Leo prepare for a trip; Vincent does some thinking.

“Vincent, you’d better back up before one of us gets hurt.”

“Leo, just let me--”

“I said back up!”

Red dripped onto the floor, a small puddle forming where it landed. Vincent raised his hands, slowly backing off.

“Okay. Okay.”

But as soon as Leo turned his back, he struck. Lunging forward, he locked his arms tight around Leo’s shoulders, pinning his arms and reaching for his hand. Leo cried out in surprise, yanking his hand away, but Vincent was ultimately faster. Red splattered violently over both of them, and the slick tool hit the ground with a clatter.

“Vincent,” Leo growled. He shoved him off and turned, glaring daggers.

“Leo.” Vincent stood his ground despite the warmth staining his shirt.

“I told you to back up.”

Vincent grinned, licking the spilled sauce off of his fingers.

“Seriously, it’s gonna be done in five minutes.” Leo bent over and picked up the spoon, grimacing as he stepped in the sauce puddle. “Great. Now my socks are gonna smell like marinara.”

“Tragic.”

“You’re cleaning this up, you know.”

Vincent shrugged, grabbing a dish towel and pecking Leo on the cheek before starting to mop up the mess.

True to his word, Leo had dinner on the table within a few minutes. Vincent tossed the soiled towel in the sink before joining him, inhaling deeply.

“This smells amazing.”

Leo shrugged, but Vincent could tell he was hiding a smile. “Yeah, well. I haven’t made meatballs in a while, and we can make sandwiches with them tomorrow.”

Vincent hummed, mouth already too full to speak. Leo chuckled and dug into his own food.

The apartment was cozy despite the chilly evening outside. Leaves swirled around in the occasional gusts of wind, and darkness had already fallen behind the drawn curtains.

“You know,” Leo spoke up, “I don’t know why, but I never really thought of Carol as the type to go for a fall wedding.”

“Well, she likes the season,” Vincent explained, cutting into a meatball with his fork. “And Julie’s not old enough for preschool yet, so it wasn’t much of an issue to organize.”

“Speaking of Julie, I talked to Linda the other day,” Leo said. “Apparently she’s started calling Alex her cousin, and he’s over the moon about it.”

Vincent grinned. Thinking of their families still stung his heart, but Leo was smiling in a way that lessened the pain.

He had a way of doing that.

“I’m sure we’ll both hear more about it when we get there,” Vincent said with a smile.

“Oh, absolutely. Remember how excited he was when she said his name for the first time?”

“How could I not? He practically blew my eardrums up.”

Leo’s periodic phone calls with Alex and Linda were often loud and full of laughter. Vincent would occasionally take the phone to say a quick hello, but for the most part, he let Leo have time to speak with them alone.

His talks with Carol were often quieter, more calm. Over the last few years, they’d grown quite close as friends. He’d shared her joy over all of Julie’s important milestones, listened to her cry when things became too much, sat with a quiet smile as she gushed over her engagement. He’d never spoken to her fiance, but from the way she talked about him, Vincent could tell how in love she was. It made him happy knowing that she had someone who was to her the way Leo was to him.

“Linda’s a bridesmaid, right?”

Leo nodded, “Yep. And Alex is going to be there too; Linda said that he insisted, promised he would look after Julie. He doesn’t have any siblings, so he’s excited to have someone to be responsible for.”

“He’s a good kid.”

Vincent caught the sad look that crossed Leo’s eyes, even as he smiled.

“He is.”

He reached out to rest his right hand over Leo’s left. They stayed that way for a few minutes as they finished their dinners, and it was only when Vincent stood to take their plates that he moved his hand.

“What time do we need to be at the airport?”

Leo had sidled up behind him as he placed their dishes in the sink, wrapping his arms around his waist. Vincent relaxed into the warm weight at his back.

“One, I think. We should have enough time to get settled in the hotel before the dinner.”

Leo hummed, tucking his face into the crook of Vincent’s neck.

“So, we don’t need to be up first thing in the morning?”

“Nope.” Vincent leaned back into him, feeling his hand trail from his hip to the hem of his shirt, dipping under it to brush his fingers against his stomach. “Why do you ask?”

Leo chuckled quietly into Vincent’s neck, pressing a kiss there before trailing a few more up to his jaw. He flattened his hand against Vincent’s front, gently pulling him back into his embrace.

“Just making sure you’re not in any hurry to go to sleep.”

Vincent laughed softly, even as his heart sped up at the feeling of Leo’s hand drifting lower. “You’re a menace.”

“You love me.”

And goddamn it, he did.

The lamp had long since been turned off, but Vincent couldn’t sleep. Leo was passed out net to him, mumbling occasionally in his sleep, and Vincent watched as his chest rose and fell slowly with each breath.

After laying in the dark for too long without drifting off, he sighed and slipped out of bed.

Insomnia wasn’t anything new to him. When it hit, he’d pull on a jacket and some shoes and walk down to the pier. It was cold in autumn, but the fresh air almost always helped. He grabbed his coat and shoes and, after a moment of hesitation, pulled an old pair of shoes out of the hall closet and grabbed the small box tucked inside, before heading out the door. 

The path to the pier was familiar by now, even more so after all of the times he’d travelled it in the last few weeks. Sleep had been more difficult for him ever since…

Vincent clutched the box in his pocket almost subconsciously. He knew why he was having more trouble sleeping as of late.

The pier was deserted, unsurprising for this time of night. He leaned on the railing, staring out at the bay where a few boats were docked. The cold air on his face helped clear his mind, and he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

He wondered if Leo would follow him out here again. It didn’t happen often, but on nights where he wasn’t quiet enough getting up, if Leo woke up to him gone, he knew where to find him. He’d stand at the railing by Vincent’s side, saying nothing, but being a comforting presence next to him as he tried to sort out his cluttered thoughts in the soft light of the moon.

Always by his side. Always there to ground him, to comfort him.

To love him.

He tightened his grip on the box.

Leo didn’t end up coming, but if Vincent was honest with himself, that was probably a good thing. He was the source of Vincent’s recent insomnia, however indirectly, and Vincent wasn’t ready. Not yet.

Once the cold air began to sting his cheeks and he realized his eyes were growing heavy, he turned and headed back home. No use in staying out longer than he had to, especially when they would be travelling the next day.

Leo was still dead asleep when Vincent returned, simply snuffling a little as he crawled back into bed. Vincent smiled at the sound and, making sure his cold feet didn’t touch Leo’s, curled around his back with an arm draped loosely over his waist.

Within a few minutes, he was out like a light.


	2. "Do we have to?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunions, meetings, and some catching up are in order.

The trip was, by all accounts, as smooth as it possibly could’ve been; still, the strain of travelling left them both a little weary. They made it to the hotel with time to spare, and as soon as the door closed, Leo groaned and flopped face-first onto the bed.

“I’m exhausted.”

Vincent snorted, kicking his foot until he rolled over, giving him space to sit.

“If you’re tired now, you’re never going to make it through dinner.”

Leo made a pained noise into the pillow. “Shut up. I don’t want to think about doing anything that involves getting up from this spot for at least four hours.”

“You have one.”

“I hate you.” Leo buried his face deeper in the pillow, grumbling into it when Vincent kissed his head.

“I’ll take the first shower, and wake you up when it’s your turn. We need to look presentable for dinner.”

“Do we have to?” Leo looked up at him, a hopeful look in his eyes. “The actual wedding isn’t until tomorrow, and it’s not like these clothes are dirty. I only spilled a little bit of coffee on them…”

He trailed off at the unimpressed look on Vincent’s face.

“Yeah, okay, I get it. Just a short nap.”

“Thank you.” Vincent smiled softly at him, kissing his shoulder.

“You’re lucky I love you.”

_You have no idea how lucky I am,_ Vincent thought. Out loud, he just chuckled.

“I love you too.”

Any trace of displeasure disappeared from Leo as soon as they entered the ballroom later that afternoon.

“Daddy!”

Alex barrelled towards them and threw himself into Leo’s arms. Leo laughed, spinning him around, and hugged him tightly once he set him back down.

“Hey kiddo! Damn, you’re getting big.”

He was. Alex had definitely sprung up since the last time Vincent had seen him, but aside from that, he looked almost exactly the same.

“Bad word!”

Leo grinned. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, bud.”

Alex turned to Vincent, still grinning widely. “Hi Vincent!”

“Hey, Alex.” Vincent ruffled his hair, and he yelped. “You really are getting tall, huh?”

“Mommy says that someday I’m gonna be taller than her.” Alex gave him a gap-tooth grin from under his messy hair. “Maybe even taller than Daddy!”

“Well, I don’t know about me,” Leo quipped, elbowing Vincent in the ribs, “but you’ll definitely be taller than this guy.”

Vincent shot him a look. “Thanks.”

“Mom’s gonna be here soon,” Alex said, grabbing Leo’s hand and leading them further into the hall. “She’s getting pictures with Auntie Carol and the other bridesmaids next door. Uncle Mike was here, but Julie got all fussy so he took her for a walk, so it’s just me right now.”

Leo glanced over at Vincent at the same time he tensed. It felt like an eternity since he’d seen his daughter; he wondered if she had changed much in that time.

Alex continued to chatter as he brought him to the table in the corner he’d been sitting at. He showed them all of his pictures he’d coloured in his colouring book, as well as the ones Julie had scribbled over. He was in the middle of a very serious explanation about an alien dog he’d drawn when the door to the hall opened, and all three of them looked up.

“We’re back!” A tall man in slacks and a dress shirt waved to Alex as he pushed a stroller into the hall. Alex stood up and waved him over.

“Uncle Mike, lookit who’s here!”

Mike held up a hand for him to wait and leaned over the stroller, fiddling with the buckles. When he stood up he was holding a toddler with curly blonde hair, clinging to him sleepily and blinking like she’d just woken up.

Vincent’s chest tightened.

Leo stood up, extending a hand. “You must be the groom.”

“That’s me.” Mike shook his hand with some difficulty, hoisting Julie up a little more. “You’re Alex’s dad?”

“Sure am.”

Mike looked over. “And you’re Vincent, right? Julie’s father?”

_Julie’s dad._ Vincent nodded, unable to hold back his smile as they shook hands as well.

“Pleasure to meet you both. Carol’s told me lots about you, Vincent--and Leo, Alex is always talking about his cool dad. I’m glad I get to see the big man himself in person.”

Leo chuckled, pulling an embarrassed Alex to his side in a hug. “The pleasure’s all ours.”

Julie whined into Mike’s shoulder, and he turned his attention to her. “Oh--sorry Princess, I’ll put you down.”

When Julie was standing on her own, she looked up at Vincent curiously. He stared into her eyes, so much like his own, and wondered if she’d remember him from when he’d last seen her. Probably not, he reasoned with himself. She was too little then, and--

“Daddy?”

Vincent’s eyes widened. “H-Hey, Julie.”

Reading his expression, Mike spoke up. “Carol keeps lots of pictures of you in the house. She wants to make sure Julie knows who her father is.”

Vincent just looked between the two of them, utterly speechless.

“Hey Alex,” Leo piped up, “how about you show me around? You’ve gotta tell me more about that martian dog.”

Excited to spend more time with his dad, Alex pulled him away, already talking a mile a minute.

“I, uh...I hope you don’t mind if I stay in here with you two,” Mike said carefully. “I can busy myself over there, but it’s just that we’ve never met, and I know that you’re a good guy, but I just--”

“It’s okay,” Vincent cut him off, smiling gently. “I get it. It’s dad instincts--Leo’s like that, too.”

Mike looked a little caught off-guard. “Dad...uh, yeah. Dad instincts.” He turned away a little, but Vincent could still see the pleased smile he was obviously trying to hide.

Julie was still looking up at him. He slid off of his chair onto the floor, and she walked up to him, standing in front of him for a few seconds before--

“Ow.”

Mike laughed at the look on Vincent’s face as Julie grabbed his nose. “Oh yeah, she’s been doing that lately. Apparently she’s going through a phase where she just wants to touch everything, including--” he winced in sympathy when Julie grabbed at Vincent’s goatee and pulled. “...including faces.”

For the next few minutes, Julie busied herself with grabbing, poking, and squeezing every part of Vincent’s face she could get to. After a while, she plopped herself down on his lap, and Mike graciously only laughed a little at Vincent’s startled expression. He grabbed a book from the stroller and handed it to him, showing him how to hold it so he could read and show her the pictures at the same time.

When Leo and Alex rejoined them, they had Linda in tow. She stopped short when she saw Vincent on the floor and he waved as best as he could with a book in one hand and Julie holding the thumb on his other.

“I would give you a hug, but you seem to have your hands full.” She patted his shoulder, and he gave her a grateful smile.

“It’s nice to see you, Linda.”

“You too.”

Soon Mike had to leave to get his own pictures with the groomsmen, and Julie was getting bored and starting to fuss. Alex offered to play with her, and Vincent and Leo watched from the table as he got some toy cars and drove them around, encouraging her to do the same.

“He really is good with her,” Leo murmured. He was watching them play with a look of shining pride on his face. Vincent smiled, lacing their fingers together under the table.

“Of course he is. You’re a good dad, Leo.”

“You are too,” Leo said, meeting his eyes. “Julie loves you, Vince.”

His eyes wandered back over to their kids. Julie was waving a car in the air, giggling wildly as Alex tried to explain that cars couldn’t fly.

“Hey.” Leo squeezed his hand, catching his attention. “I know it’s hard being away from them. But she’s not going to forget you, okay? Carol will make sure she always remembers her dad, no matter where we are.”

Vincent’s throat was too tight to speak, but he nodded. Leo smiled softly and pulled his hand away.

“Vincent, Leo!”

They both looked up just in time for Carol to wrap them in a tight hug. When she pulled away, she beamed down at them; Vincent could practically feel her excitement.

“Carol, congratulations.” He stood and hugged her again. She laughed, patting his back.

“Thank you. I’m so glad you guys could make it.”

“We wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

She pulled away again, going into business mode. “Okay so, I know that guests aren’t usually supposed to be at the rehearsal dinner, but you two are an exception. We wanted you in the wedding, but…”

She trailed off, her smile fading a little. Vincent understood; they’d spoken about it over the phone. Carol and Mike had both wanted Vincent to be a groomsman, but there would likely be questions from the other guests about who he was and where he’d come from, and not all of those could safely be answered, even after all this time.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, “I’m just glad we can be here. You look so happy, Carol.”

“I am. I really, really am.”

People were starting to trickle into the hall, and Carol glanced behind her.

“I need to--”

“It’s okay,” Vincent assured her. “You go tend to things. We can keep ourselves occupied.”

She nodded. “Okay. Thank you--we’ll all catch up later, okay?”

“Sounds good.”

With a parting wave, she hurried off to help get things ready.

“...So, that about wraps up the evening!”

A few people clapped, and the maid of honour quieted everyone down.

“Remember that we all need to be here by nine tomorrow morning. Have a good sleep, everyone.”

The hum of conversation started up around them as people stood around to mingle. Leo stretched, cracking his joints with a groan.

“God, that was long.”

“You’re never going to make it through the ceremony.”

Leo made a face, and Vincent laughed.

“Hey.” Linda appeared beside Leo, grinning at both of them.

“Carol’s dad is taking the kids home, so the three of us are going to have some drinks with the bride and groom to catch up.”

Leo and Vincent looked at each other, and Vincent shrugged.

“Sounds good to me.”

Carol and Mike met them at the entrance to the hall, and the five of them made their way to the hotel. The walk was short and the air was temperate, and spirits were high between them all.

The couple had rented a suite for their wedding accommodations, so there was plenty of space for everyone to sit on couches. Vincent was hesitant to get too close to Leo, so he sat a few feet away, spine ramrod-straight as he tried to focus on the conversation.

After a few minutes, Leo sighed and wrapped his arm around Vincent’s waist, pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his neck.

“Leo!” Vincent hissed, eyes wide with alarm. Leo shook his head, smiling against his skin.

“Vince, calm down.” Carol was watching them in amusement. “Mike knows about everything. We didn’t want there to be any secrets between us, and--”

“And I think what you did is amazing,” Mike blurted. He looked sheepish when all eyes turned towards him. “I-I mean...breaking out of prison, that’s crazy. And then you went on the run, and you escaped the law, and that’s--it’s so--”

“I will never get over how excited you get about this,” Linda teased. He grinned, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well, it’s impressive. I could definitely never do something like that.”

“Honestly, we barely did,” Leo commented. Vincent nodded, finally relaxing against him.

“But you did, and now you’re here.” Mike shook his head. “And, from what Carol tells me, it all worked out for you two.”

Leo looked over at Vincent fondly.

“Yeah, it did.”

The expression on his face made Vincent flush, and he quickly took a sip of his drink to hide it.

“At any rate,” Carol cut in, “I’m so glad you both could come and share this with us. It means so much…”

She shook her head, eyes watering and starting to choke up. Linda quickly grabbed a tissue and handed it to her, and she sniffed and wiped her eyes.

“It means so much to me to have everyone I love here for Mike and I. You three have been so wonderful, and I--I just--”

She buried her face in the tissue. Mike wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered after she’d dabbed away her tears, “I’m okay. I think it’s just...there are so many emotions, I think I’m a little overwhelmed.”

“That’s normal,” Linda assured her. “It’s an emotional time. Why don’t you get some rest, okay?”

Carol nodded, giving her a watery smile. “Okay.”

She hugged each of them twice before they left, and Mike walked them to the door.

“See you all tomorrow. Have a good night.”

The three were quiet in the elevator, the excitement of the next day already in the air. When they got to their floor, Linda hugged Leo and Vincent both, saying a quick goodnight before disappearing down the hall.

By the time they were back in the quiet of their own room, Vincent felt ready to sleep for about a decade. Leo crawled straight into bed after shucking his pants and shirt off without bothering to don pyjamas, and for once, Vincent didn’t mind. He simply curled up next to him and reached over to turn off the light.

He fell asleep with Leo’s fingers still running through his hair.


	3. "And neither should you."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vincent is a good dad; Leo explains some things to Alex.

“Okay, Carol’s getting her makeup done, the flower girls are with Anne, Theo has the rings--oh, excuse me.”

“It’s alright,” Vincent tried to say, but the frazzled-looking bridesmaid who’d bumped into him was already bustling off, still muttering under her breath. He watched her go around the corner before turning and nearly running face-first into two caterers carrying a large tray of fruit.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, quickly stepping out of their way. 

He jumped as he bumped into something else, but that something turned out to be Leo, and he caught Vincent before he could fall over.

“Having fun?” He teased. Vincent sighed. 

“I feel like I’m in the way everywhere I stand. Where’s Linda?”

“She should’ve been here by now. She must be running la--oof!”

Leo’s sentence was cut off as he was tackled from behind. Alex giggled, poking his head out from behind Leo’s back.

“Hi, Vincent!”

“Hey there,” Vincent said, grinning.

Leo twisted around, grabbing Alex and tickling at his sides. He yelped and flailed, trying to get away.

“Seriously?” Linda spoke up from a few feet away, where she’d been watching the exchange with an amused look. “Do you know how long it took me to get his hair to stay down this morning?”

Leo and Alex both froze, looking up with guilty looks on their faces; Alex’s hair was already sticking up on one side.

“Sorry,” Leo said sheepishly, letting go of Alex and trying to smooth down his haid. “He started it, though.”

“Did not!”

“How’re the preparations going?” Vincent interrupted before Leo could respond. “Some of the bridesmaids are looking pretty stressed.”

Linda blew a stray hair out of her face and shrugged. “Honestly, everything’s going fine. I think some of Carol's friends can just be a little bit…” she hesitated, looking for the right word. “...high-strung.”

Vincent chuckled. “Sounds about right.”

“Anyways, we should be ready to go soon. You guys go find seats in the hall; I'll try to catch you after the ceremony, but if I can't, feel free to grab lunch without me.”

She quickly straightened Alex's tie and patted down his hair before leaving, her dress swishing as she walked down the hall.

The hall was slowly filling up, people finding seats and chatting quietly. Leo found them an empty pew close to the back, and they took their seats as more people trickled in. 

Mike was already standing at the front, talking to his best man and looking tense. He caught Vincent's eye and gave him a nervous smile. Vincent smiled back, flashing him an encouraging thumbs-up. 

It wasn’t a big wedding, so it wasn’t long before the seats were nearly full. The quiet hum of conversation around them hushed as the first notes of the organ began to play.

There were some coos from the audience as the flower girls walked down the aisle, Mike’s niece leading Julie by the hand. Then came the ring bearer, and the bridesmaids, and finally Carol on the arm of her father.

She looked positively radiant; Vincent felt breathless watching her walk down the aisle, even though this time he was just another face in the crowd. She was practically emanating joy, and the way she looked at Mike when she joined him at the altar filled Vincent with warmth.

The ceremony proceeded like any other wedding Vincent had attended, but it was somehow a completely different experience. He loved Carol--he always had, even if it wasn’t the type of love that they both now shared with other people--and watching her tear up with happiness as she read her vows had him feeling misty eyed as well.

Leo’s hand found his on the bench between them, hidden from any prying eyes. When Vincent glanced over, he was taken aback by his expression: his eyes were soft, and he was giving Vincent a small but utterly genuine smile. Vincent felt a lump in his throat that had nothing to do with the ceremony, and for a few moments, the hall seemed to fade away until it was just the two of them staring into each others’ eyes.

“You may kiss the bride.”

The spell was broken, and Vincent looked back up just in time to see Carol and Mike embracing. The hall erupted into clapping and he joined in, grinning so widely that his cheeks hurt.

After a lot of clapping and cheering, and a reminder about the reception from the maid of honour, the hall began to empty. Alex was a lot more lively now that he was free to move around again, and he swung Leo’s hand as they left the hall and stepped outside.

“So, I say we wait for Linda for a few minutes, and if she can’t get away then we grab a light lunch and head to the hotel for a bit. The reception isn’t until tonight, so we should probably--”

“NOOOOOO!”

Leo, Vincent, and Alex all turned, along with a few of the lingering guests around them. Julie was standing a few feet from the door with an older woman, who Vincent recognized after a moment as Carol’s mother. She was trying to placate the screaming toddler, speaking in low tones.

“Julie, sweetheart,” she said, quietly but loud enough that Vincent could still hear, “I’ve already told you: Grandpa and I are going to take you back home until supper, remember? Don’t you want to have a nice nap in the big bed before we come back?”

“No! No nap!” Julie hollered, throwing her flower basket on the ground.

Carol’s mother sighed, then glanced around nervously; all of the people who had been watching quickly turned away to save her the embarrassment.

Her eyes met Vincent’s and widened in recognition. She waved to him and, after a quick glance back at Leo and Alex, he walked over.

“Vincent, it’s good to see you.”

“You as well, Judith,” he said politely, knowing that the greeting was a mere formality.

Judith opened her mouth to say something, but Julie chose that moment to let out a particularly ear-splitting screech, and she winced and brought a hand to her temple. Vincent vaguely remembered Carol telling him a long time ago that her mother suffered from frequent headaches, and he guessed that Julie’s temper tantrum wasn’t helping.

“Listen,” he said, raising his voice slightly over Julie’s wails, “I know it’s sudden, but maybe I could take Julie back to the hotel with us. Alex could play with her a little, and then maybe she’ll settle down for a n--”

Julie shrieked in the background, and he cleared his throat. “--an N-A-P.”

Judith looked relieved. “Would you do that? I know it’s been a while, but everyone is busy with wedding pictures and such…”

“It’s really no trouble. We didn’t have anything planned for today, so we’ll just be at the hotel until the reception.”

She nodded, grimacing at another yell from Julie. “Alright, then. I’ll let Mike and Carol know--thank you so much.”

She hurried off, and Vincent crouched down to Julie’s eye level. She sniffed, looking at him with red eyes full of angry tears.

“Hey, Julie,” he said in what he hoped was a calming voice. “Grandpa and Grandpa are going back to their house, so you’re gonna come with me and Alex and Uncle Leo for a little while, okay?”

Miraculously, she didn’t scream again--just rubbed her eyes and nodded. Vincent couldn’t help but do a mental fist-pump at his luck.

Soon Judith came back with an ‘all clear’ from Carol and Mike, then hugged Julie goodbye and left with her husband. Vincent held out his hand, but instead of taking it, Julie pouted and held out her arms.

“Oh--uh, you want me to carry you?”

“Daddy carry.” Her tone left no room for negotiating, and Vincent didn’t want to disrupt the few moments of calm he’d managed to maintain, so he hoisted her up by the underarms and held her against his side like he’d seen Mike do before.

“New plan,” he announced as he rejoined Leo and Alex. “Carol’s parents need a bit of rest before the reception, so we’re gonna take Julie for a while; maybe order some pizza or something for lunch.”

“Sounds good,” Leo said easily. Alex perked up.

“Julie’s gonna come play?”

Vincent smiled, bouncing Julie slightly on his side.

“She sure is. But after lunch, we’re all going to settle down and have some quiet time so you two don’t get too tired during dinner.”

Alex pouted up at him. “I’m not gonna get tired!”

“Who said I was talking about you?” Vincent gestured furtively towards Leo, then winked.

Alex giggled, and together they all set off towards the hotel.

“Hey.”

Leo’s voice was low, soft enough that Alex wouldn’t be able to hear. Vincent looked over, slightly distracted by Julie wiggling in his arms.

“Yeah?”

Leo nodded towards her, a gentle smile on her face. “You’re doing great.”

A wave of warmth and affection washed over Vincent, and he couldn’t help but grin. “You think so?”

“I do.”

He didn’t offer anything further, but he had that soft look in his eyes again that still made Vincent’s heart flutter, even after all this time. 

As it turned out, they wouldn’t need Alex’s help to make Julie sleepy. In the short time it took them to get to the hotel and up to Leo and Vincent’s room, she’d nodded off on Vincent’s shoulder, only mumbling a little when he laid her down on the bed. He snugly tucked the blankets over her, smiling fondly as she curled up and stuck her thumb in her mouth.

Alex bounced onto the foot of the bed, but immediately jumped back up when Julie whimpered in her sleep.

“Hey, Vincent,” he said, pointing to the bed. “Why do you and Daddy only have one bed in your room?”

Vincent’s eyes widened a little, and he looked up at Leo, who’d just picked up the phone to order pizza. They exchanged a look, and he put down the phone and led Alex to the small couch nestled in the corner of the room. Vincent hovered awkwardly for a few seconds before deciding to make himself useful, picking up the room service menu and pretending to read it. The words on the page didn’t register as he listened in to Leo’s even voice.

“Alex,” he said, sounding much calmer than Vincent felt. “Do you remember what Mommy told you a long time ago, when I first moved away?”

Alex hummed. “She said that you love me and her both very, very much, and that sometimes mommies and daddies don’t live together.”

Leo nodded. “Right. So, what that means is that me and Mommy still love each other; it’s just a little bit different. When Mommy and I had you, we loved each other in the way that people love each other when they want to hold hands and kiss each other. And we still love each other just as much, but now we want to kiss and hold hands with other people.”

Alex was quiet for a moment. When he spoke up, his voice was thoughtful.

“So, you kiss and hold hands with Vincent?”

Leo paused, and Vincent swallowed hard.

“Yeah, bud, I do. I love him very much, just like I loved your mom when we had you.”

“Huh.”

Vincent’s heart was pounding so hard that he could feel it in his fingertips. He stared down at the menu again, terrified, but not knowing exactly what he was scared of.

A few moments passed. Then:

“But why’s there only one bed? Can’t hotels have like, a bunch of beds? If you had two, you could make a fort!”

There was a beat of silence before Leo snorted, and Vincent dissolved into a fit of laughter. Alex looked between them, looking utterly confused.

“You know what, you’re right. I never thought of it that way.” Leo ruffled Alex’s hair, trying and failing to hold back his laughter.

Alex swatted his hand away, giggling. Seemingly satisfied with the answer, he hopped up.

“Can I watch TV?”

“As long as you’re quiet; we don’t want to wake the baby.”

Leo put on a cartoon for him, then joined Vincent where he was still standing by the phone. He wrapped an arm around Vincent’s waist, and he leaned into the touch, resting his head on Leo’s shoulder.

“That went well.”

“I figured it would. He’s a real good kid.” Leo was smiling, the pride obvious on his face. “Linda and I were gonna talk about it with him some more this weekend, but I don’t think she’ll mind if I explained it a bit early. We don’t like keeping stuff from him after…”

He trailed off, the smile fading from his face. Vincent remembered years ago, how Alex had run off when they’d been reunited at the trailer park.

“You and Linda were doing the very best you could given the situation,” he murmured, giving Leo’s shoulder a soft kiss. “You shouldn’t keep punishing yourself for things that happened back then.”

“And neither should you.” Leo looked down at him, suddenly serious.

Vincent hesitated. “What do you mean?”

Leo looked over to the bed, where Julie was still sleeping, and held Vincent a little closer.

“I know it’s hard,” he murmured, “and I know it’s been hard on you to be away from her so much. But you’re doing so well with her, and it’s obvious that she loves you.”

Vincent’s throat was tight, and he took a shaky breath as he willed himself not to cry. 

“I love you,” he whispered. He turned so his chest was to Leo’s and clasped his hands around the back of Leo’s neck, brushing his thumbs over his jawline. “I love you, Leo.”

“I love you.” Leo was smiling, and he leaned down slightly at the same time that Vincent tilted his head up. Their lips brushed in a chaste kiss that left Vincent’s heart racing all the same.

“Gross!”

Alex was covering his eyes with both hands, tongue sticking out. Leo laughed, and Vincent’s face flushed.

“What’s wrong, Al?” he teased. “It’s just kissing.”

“Kissing is gross!” Alex peeked out from between his fingers. Leo immediately leaned down to peck Vincent’s lips again, and Alex groaned and covered his eyes again.

“Okay, okay,” Vincent said loudly, hoping he didn’t look as flustered as he felt. “Are we going to order pizza or not?”

“Yeah, alright.” Leo pulled away, but as soon as Vincent turned back to the phone, he swooped down and kissed his cheek once more. “Thanks, babe.”

Vincent and Alex protested at the same time, and he grinned and lifted his hands in surrender.

“Point taken.”


	4. "Sometimes you can even see..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vincent needs a little encouragement; Carol is a good friend.

The afternoon passed lazily. After they’d eaten their fill of pizza, Alex had laid down next to Julie with minimal prompting from Leo. Despite his earlier insistence that he wasn’t tired, his protests were half-hearted, and within minutes he was out like a light. Even Leo drifted off for a while, snoring lightly into Vincent’s chest where they were laying together on the couch with the television playing quietly.

By the time the kids woke up, the remains of the pizza lunch had been tidied, and the sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky. Vincent managed to get some applesauce into a still-drowsy Julie while Leo tried to tame Alex’s sleep-frizzy hair, and when everybody was presentable, they headed out and back to the hall.

Linda met them at the entrance to the ballroom, looking worn out but still smiling as they approached.

“How were the photos?” Vincent asked. She sighed.

“Endless. I never thought that standing still could be so exhausting.”

“Well, at least you get to relax now.” Leo looked around, scanning the tables lining the ballroom. “When do we eat?”

As soon as Linda opened her mouth, clapping erupted from the doorway. She looked behind her.

“Right now.”

When they entered, Carol and Mike were just sitting down at their places. Linda hurried to the head table, slipping into her seat along with a few other late bridesmaids.

There was a short speech from both the maid of honour and the best man, with promises of more to come throughout the night. Then the waiters started to make their rounds, and with that, the evening was underway.

“One more bite, and...there we go! All finished!”

The nap had done Julie good, and she was happily sitting on Vincent’s lap as he fed her dinner. She grinned proudly as he cleaned the food from her face, and he smiled and patted her cheek.

The centre of the room was already being set up for dancing. Leo nudged Vincent with his shoulder, grinning.

“Are you ready to see me tear up the dance floor?”

Vincent couldn't hold back a snort. “You're more likely to tear a tendon.”

“I take offence to that.” Leo leaned in, smile morphing into a conspiratorial smirk. “You know how good I am with my legs, Vince.”

Vincent fought the ridiculous urge to cover Julie’s ears and turned his head, trying to hide his reddening face. “That doesn't even make sense.”

Unfazed, Leo’s smile widened. “Well, for starters--”

“Can I have everybody’s attention?”

The maid of honour tapped her glass with her spoon and stood up. Vincent looked up, grateful for the out.

“We’re going to start the dancing now! Don't feel rushed to finish eating; food and drinks will be available through the rest of the reception. But before that, it's time for the bride and groom’s first dance.”

The lights dimmed as Mike and Carol walked to the centre of the room, and a slow song began to play.

Watching them move across the dance floor was mesmerizing, in a way. A few other couples joined them, being sure to stay near the sides out of their way. 

When the song faded away they slowed to a stop, prompting clapping from the guests around them. Carol looked flushed but happy, grinning bashfully as Mike leaned down to give her a soft kiss. 

More people began to move to the dance floor, the music changing to something more lively. Alex jumped up, tugging on Leo's arm.

“Daddy, I wanna dance! Can we dance, please?”

“You bet.” Leo stood, looking back to Vincent and giving him a cheeky wink. “I need to prove this guy wrong.”

Vincent rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Whatever you say, Leo.”

“Dance?” Julie asked, perking up on Vincent’s lap. Leo looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Go ahead, princess. Just make sure you stay with Alex and Uncle Leo, okay?”

“C’mon Julie!” Alex bounced on the balls of his feet as Leo lifted her off of Vincent’s lap.

“Have fun,” he said, with a little wave and a smile.

They walked off, melting into the growing crowd of dancers.

“Hey.”

Vincent jumped a little, turning around. Carol was standing behind him, still with that little giddy smile on her face.

“Hey yourself. Having a good time?”

“I am.” She pulled out a chair and took a seat beside him. “It's been...a lot more stressful than I was expecting, to be honest. But I'm really, really happy.”

“You look happy,” Vincent said earnestly. “You’re glowing.”

Carol beamed.

“I guess being in love just does that to you.” She looked away, pretending to watch the people on the dance floor, but Vincent could see the sidelong look she cast at him through the corner of her eye. “You would know.”

His face warmed but he didn’t deny it, and he could see Carol’s partially-hidden smile.

Almost instinctively, his eyes drifted towards Leo. He was near the edge of the crowd, trying his best to dance with Alex standing on both of his feet and Julie gripping both of his hands. They were all laughing, and even from where he sat, Vincent could see the genuine joy he exuded. His chest felt full to bursting; a feeling he’d long since come to associate with Leo.

“I love him, Carol,” he said softly, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the sudden rush of feeling that came with the words.

She was looking at him again, chin propped up on her hand with a smile. “I know you do.”

“No, I mean...I love him.” He shook his head, still unable to look away. “He’s like a part of me. He makes me want to be so much better for him, for me. I would do anything to make him happy, to make him smile...god, Carol, I want to see that smile forever, every day until the end of time.”

Carol was quiet for a moment, and Vincent realized with a rush of embarrassment that he’d been rambling. He turned back to her, an apology on the tip of his tongue, but it died when he saw the look in her eyes; she was looking at him as though she were seeing right through him, a genuine fondness in her gaze that showed more than words.

“When did you get it?”

He furrowed his brow. “What?”

Carol’s lips were slowly curving up into a grin. “The ring. When did you get the ring, Vincent?”

“I--” he started to answer, but realized that his throat had suddenly gone dry. He closed his mouth, then opened it again, trying to find words as Carol watched in obvious amusement.

“How did you know?” he finally managed to get out.

She laughed, patting his hand on the table.

“You’re a pretty good actor, Vince, but there are some things you just can’t hide.”

She looked across the room to where Mike was talking with some of the guests, and Vincent couldn’t help but smile at the way she looked at him.

“When I started seeing Mike, something just...clicked. It felt right, you know? Like, as we started seeing each other more, spending more time together, meeting each other’s families, there was something inside me that kept saying, _this is who I’m meant to be with._ ”

Vincent swallowed hard and nodded.

“When you find that special connection with someone--when your soul tells you that _this is your person_ \--it makes you want to do better, be better. To make them happy and keep them safe; to make them know how much they’re loved; to be stronger yourself so you can be stronger as a whole.”

She looked back at him, her expression serious, yet gentle.

“Feelings that intense...they’re not easy to hide. When you look at two people like that--the way they look at each other, their commitment, how they complement each other--sometimes, it’s more obvious than they realize. Sometimes you can even see…”

She trailed off, but her smile didn’t fade. Vincent’s throat was tight with emotion, and he squeezed her hand, unable to speak.

“That’s how it is with you and Leo. There’s something about you two, something that just kept pulling you together and keeping you there.” She took his hand in both of hers and held it tightly.

“You and Leo are meant for each other, Vince.”

_Don’t cry, don’t cry, this is her wedding, keep it together…_

He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the wetness in his eyes.

“Thank you, Carol,” he said lowly. He placed his other hand on hers and squeezed. “That truly means so much.”

Thankfully, Carol didn’t comment on his teary eyes; just handed him one of the fabric napkins laying on the table. He took it gratefully and tried to inconspicuously dab at his eyes.

“Hello, my lovely wife!” Mike appeared behind Carol’s shoulder, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Vincent hurriedly dropped the napkin.

“Why hello, my darling husband.” Carol laughed, leaning her head back to look at him. He pecked her on the lips, then turned his attention to Vincent.

“What’re you two talking about?”

“Oh, nothing,” Carol said, feigning innocence. “Just how hopelessly in love Vincent is.”

“Carol!”

“Hey, don’t worry; I totally get it.” Mike smiled down at Carol again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I feel pretty hopeless around her sometimes.”

“You’re a sap.” She reached up and flicked his nose, and he gasped dramatically.

“How dare you!”

Vincent hid a smile behind his hand as he watched the exchange.

“You two really are perfect for each other,” he commented. Carol blushed, and Mike grinned.

“Thanks. I think so too.”

The song that had been playing in the background shifted to a slower, softer melody. Carol perked up.

“Oh, I love this song!”

“Then why don’t we dance?” Mike held out a hand, and Carol took it with a grin.

“I’ll catch up with you later, okay?” she said over her shoulder as they walked away. Vincent nodded and raised his hand with a smile.

Alone at the table again, he found himself looking around the room. He didn’t see Leo or Alex, but Julie was sitting on her grandmother’s lap a few tables away, obviously tired out. A few more people had joined the dance floor now, couples holding each other close and swaying to the music. 

It ached a little, he suddenly realized. He was beyond happy for Carol and Mike, and the whole weekend had been an incredible experience. But sitting by himself in a softly-lit ballroom, watching couples wrapped in each others’ arms...there was something incredibly alienating about it. Even though he knew that Leo likely wouldn’t mind if he were to approach him in the crowd...take him by the hand...pull him close and hold him there, whisper sweet nothings in his ear…

He stood up, suddenly needing air.

The hallway outside the ballroom was cool in comparison to the stuffy air inside, and he took some deep breaths as he leaned against the wall. Even through the wall and door, he could still hear the muffled music, and he sighed and ran his hands down his face.

Because even though Leo likely wouldn’t mind, Vincent would. No matter how good it would feel to be able to hold Leo in his arms, kiss him whenever he felt the urge and show his affection whenever he pleased, he would always feel the eyes on them, glaring, judging. Maybe that wouldn’t have bothered him a few years ago, but something about avoiding attention at all costs for so long to dodge the law had made him hyperaware. And that wasn’t fair to Leo.

Leo, who never failed to make him feel loved. Leo, who understood him better than anyone ever had. Leo, who was the most important person to him, who deserved the world. He certainly deserved more than forced casual dinner talk, aware of every inch of space between them to make sure it was enough. More than watching quietly as Vincent tried to gently turn down a bridesmaid who’d noted the lack of ring on his finger. More than calculated touches, limited in almost every way.

More than Vincent.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the door open, and was startled at the voice from his left. 

“You okay?”

Leo was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking slightly concerned. Vincent nodded and forced a smile.

“Yeah, I’m alright. I just needed some air.”

Leo hummed, obviously not completely convinced. He leaned against the wall next to him, watching him wordlessly.

After a few moments, Vincents sighed.

“It’s just been a little tough, you know? Seeing everyone again has been wonderful, of course, but there’s something about not being able to be close to you through most of it that feels…”

“Ingenuine?” Leo offered. Vincent raised an eyebrow, and Leo narrowed his eyes.

“What? You don’t think I can use big words?”

“The fact that you’re calling it a ‘big word’ kind of informs my disbelief.”

Leo elbowed him in the side, but they were both laughing.

“But yes,” he said, once their chuckles had quieted. “It feels like separating two important parts of our lives. And I know that dancing in front of some strangers doesn’t make a relationship, but the fact that if we did, it would likely cause enough of an upset to put a damper on Carol’s day…”

He trailed off as Leo pushed off of the wall and stared down at the hand he extended. Leo was smiling softly, a twinkle in his dark eyes that made Vincent’s words die at the tip of his tongue.

“There’s no one out here,” he said in lieu of explanation. “And you can still hear the music.”

Vincent didn’t answer--couldn’t answer. He stared at Leo, a feeling blooming in his chest that he had long since come to associate with him.

Without a word, he took Leo’s hand and let him pull him close. His right hand in Leo’s left, Leo’s arm wrapped securely around his waist...it felt right in a way he still didn’t have words for. He rested his hand at the nape of Leo’s neck and followed his lead as they swayed to the music still audible from inside the ballroom.

Leo’s eyes were dark and deep enough to get lost in, and Vincent did. As the song faded out and a new one began, they continued their slow, swaying movements. Leo’s eyes fell to Vincent’s mouth, and as they slowed to a stop, they both began to lean in unprompted, close enough that Vincent could feel his breath on his lips. His eyes fluttered shut--

The sound of the door opening startled them a good few feet apart. An older couple shuffled out of the hall, paying only enough mind to Vincent and Leo to nod vaguely at them as they took their coats and left.

Vincent sighed, equal parts relieved and disappointed. Leo nudged him with his shoulder, an easy smile on his face.

“C’mon, let’s head back inside. I wasn’t done showing off my sexy dance moves.”

Vincent groaned, but he was grinning as he followed Leo back towards the ballroom. “God help us all.”


	5. "Just say it"

It took a few hours for the party to wind down. Carol’s parents had taken Julie home fairly soon after dinner, and she’d barely waved a sleepy goodbye before she was out like a light against her grandpa’s shoulder.

Alex held out an impressive amount of time, but eventually Linda had to enlist Leo’s help with carrying him out to a taxi. By that time, many others had left as well, and soon enough, the ballroom was sparsely populated.

Vincent was just finishing off a glass of wine when Leo approached him, still flushed from the night air. 

“Did you want to stick around for a while longer?”

Vincent hummed, taking a moment to look around the room.

“No, I think I’m ready to head out. I just want to say goodbye to Carol and Mike first, in case we don’t catch them before they leave for the honeymoon tomorrow.” He glanced behind Leo, looking for Linda.

“Linda went back to the hotel,” Leo said, as if reading his mind. “She was looking pretty wiped, and we’ll see them tomorrow, so I told her to get some sleep.”

“I’m feeling pretty beat myself,” Vincent admitted, stifling a yawn.

“Vincent, Leo!”

They turned to see Carol waving them over. Mike was next to her, an arm wrapped around her waist, and he raised a hand in greeting as they approached.

“Are you guys going back to the hotel?”

“Yeah.” Vincent looked back at Leo, who nodded in assent. “It’s pretty late, and we wanted to say goodbye to everyone tomorrow before we left.”

“We’ll probably be on our flight by then,” Mike said. Carol groaned, turning to hide her face in his chest.

“God, I don’t want to think about having to get up in a few hours to go on a plane.”

He chuckled, patting her hair sympathetically.

“Congratulations again,” Leo said. He shook Mike’s hand, then held it out to Carol, who rolled her eyes and wrapped him in a tight hug. The slightly off-guard look on his face made Vincent laugh, but he patted her back before pulling away.

“I’m gonna hail a cab,” he said. “I’m too tired to walk twenty minutes in the dark.”

“I’ll be right out.”

Leo nodded, waved once more to Carol and Mike, and left the room.

As soon as he was out of sight, Carol grabbed Vincent’s shoulder.

“Listen,” she said, giving him a stern look. “I know you. I know how you like to make things perfect, and how you’d rather worry yourself to death than be spontaneous.”

“Hey--” Vincent started to protest, but she held up a finger.

“I also know Leo,” she said, and Vincent flushed. He glanced over at Mike, who raised his hands with a hint of a smirk.

“Don’t look at me,” he said. “I’m just an innocent bystander.”

“Vincent,” Carol said softly, and he looked down at her. Her expression was soft, open, and he could tell she was being serious.

“Leo loves you,” she said softly. “I promise you that he wants to be with you just as much as you want to be with him. It doesn’t need to be perfect, or extravagant, or thought out and planned. You two are meant to be together. It’s written all over you.”

Vincent swallowed hard to keep from tearing up. His eyes must’ve given him away, though, because Carol smiled and squeezed his shoulder.

“I know you know all of this,” she murmured, “but sometimes you just need to hear it from someone who loves you.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, unable to keep the smile off of his face. She patted his shoulder, then pulled him into a tight hug.

“You already know what to say to him,” she said. “So just say it.”

Reluctantly, Vincent pulled out of the hug. Carol’s eyes were watery, but she gave him a big, genuine smile as they parted.

“Good luck,” Mike said, giving him a short hug and patting his back with a grin.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely, looking between them, “both of you.”

“We’ll see you guys soon, okay?” Carol promised. “And you can call whenever you want.”

“The same goes for you.”

With one last wave, he turned and left the ballroom, feeling lighter than he had all night.

Leo was standing outside of the hall, and he looked over when Vincent joined him.

“You ready?”

Vincent bit back a smile.

“Ready.”

_Just say it._

Carol’s words echoed in his head. Every time he looked at Leo, they were there, whispering, urging.

_Just say it._

They were there when he felt a weight on his shoulder in the cab, and looked down to see Leo resting his head on his shoulder. They were there in the hotel room, when Leo wrapped his arms around Vincent’s waist as he checked that the door was locked and pressed a kiss to the nape of his neck. They were there in the bathroom, when Leo started a shoving match to get in front of the sink while they both brushed their teeth; and even again after that, when Vincent had to clean up the aftermath after he burst out laughing and spat toothpaste all over the mirror.

By the time he was finished, Leo was already in bed, covers pulled up to his chin. Vincent smiled to himself at the sight, kneeling down to stuff his toothbrush back into his bag…

And froze.

His hand had brushed against a familiar shape, and he felt his eyebrows jump up to his hairline. His mind raced, trying to go through the night he’d packed his things, thinking of some way he’d accidentally shoved the box into his bag. He came up with nothing, and as his fingers curled around the box, the words boomed in his head.

_Just say it._

“Vince?” Leo mumbled, and his head shot up. He was still laying down, eyes closed, but as Vincent watched he opened his arms.

“Come to bed.”

Vincent didn’t answer at first, finding it extremely hard to think over the sound of his heart pounding. After a moment, he stood, casually holding the box behind his thigh, and crawled into bed, tucking it under his pillow in one smooth motion.

“I love you,” Leo murmured, voice already thick with sleep. Despite his nerves, Vincent found himself smiling fondly.

“I love you, Leo.”

Leo didn’t answer, other than a soft snore. Vincent laughed quietly and reached over, turning off the lamp.

Despite the vague shape of the box under his pillow, he fell into an easy sleep, an arm looped loosely around Leo’s waist.


	6. "Give me a minute, or an hour"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vincent speaks his mind.

As expected, Vincent woke up before Leo. The sun had yet to rise, but the sky had lightened enough that Vincent could tell he’d slept a couple of hours. He turned his head, taking a moment to look at Leo.

He was always so peaceful when he slept. His whole face was relaxed, from his fluttering eyelids to his mouth hanging slightly open. Vincent smiled, a warm feeling blooming in his chest, and he let himself lean forward and kiss Leo ever so softly on the forehead, right between his brows. Then, careful not to move the bed too much, he got up and started to get ready.

It didn’t take him long to get dressed and slip the box from under his pillow into the pocket of his sweatpants. He took a deep breath, then crouched down beside Leo’s side of the bed so his head was level with Leo’s bare shoulder.

“Leo.”

No response. Vincent reached up and laid a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking it. Leo grunted, but didn’t stir.

“Leo.”

There were a few sleepy grumbles, but no other response. Vincent sighed, but he was smiling as he pressed his lips to Leo’s shoulder: once, twice, three times, giving him lingering little kisses that trailed up his neck to his jaw.

“Leo,” he whispered into his ear.

Leo mumbled again, but this time he shifted, rolling over onto his back so he could give a sleepy, closed-eyed smile to Vincent.

“G’morning,” he said, voice rough with sleep.

“Get up,” Vincent said softly, pressing another kiss just below his earlobe.

Leo pried his eyes open, blinking at Vincent in confusion.

“Wha’?”

Vincent hid his smile against Leo’s neck.

“Just trust me, okay?”

Obviously curious, but not awake enough yet to question it, Leo slowly sat up in bed, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He watched as Vincent fiddled with the hotel coffee maker, and when Vincent glanced over his shoulder at him, he was smiling softly. Vincent raised an eyebrow, and he just chuckled and shook his head.

In a few minutes, two cups of coffee were poured--one black, and one with as much sugar as the basket beside the coffee maker contained. Vincent handed the latter to Leo, who was in the process of pulling on a shirt, then took his own and sat back on the bed.

Leo watched in obvious bewilderment as Vincent shuffled back against the headboard, holding his coffee in both hands. He just smiled and patted the bed next to him, taking a sip of his coffee but keeping eye contact over the rim of his mug.

Leo’s eyes narrowed, but he padded over to the bed and crawled on next to him, coffee in hand. They sat side to side, shoulders and knees brushing, silent between sips of coffee.

That lasted for about two minutes before Leo broke. “Vince, what the hell are we doing?”

Vincent raised an eyebrow, hiding his smirk in his drink. “What do you mean?”

Leo looked over at him. “You woke me up at the ass crack of dawn and told me to get dressed so we could drink coffee in bed?”

“Technically, I didn’t tell you to get dressed.”

Leo’s eyes narrowed further, and Vincent had to hold back a laugh.

“I just wanted to talk.”

Leo was quiet for a second, face turning apprehensive. “About what?”

It took Vincent a moment to gather his thoughts, but once he did, he took a deep breath and just went with it.

“We’ve been through some shit.”

Leo was looking at him with the same cautions, bemused look on his face. “Yeah, we have.”

Vincent took a too-big sip of his drink, but managed to hold back a wince at the burn.

“This isn’t where I thought I’d end up, you know. In bed with you, drinking shitty hotel coffee at the ‘ass crack of dawn.’”

“All of those things are your fault,” Leo pointed out. Vincent rolled his eyes.

“Maybe. But…”

He set the coffee down on the bedside table, turning so he could look at Leo head-on. He was still holding his cup, looking entirely lost.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I’m not as good with words as I’d like to be...not genuine ones, anyway.”

He swallowed down the lump forming in his throat, pressing on.

“This--us--it’s all absolutely nuts. I mean, we met in a prison, for god’s sake!”

Leo winced. He hurried to continue.

“But after that, it all kind of...slowed down. You and me...we aren’t the same as we were. Things are so much different now; safer. More comfortable. Happier.”

Vincent brought a hand to cover one of Leo’s, staring down at their fingers as he laced them together.

“So much fucking happier.”

“Vince…” Leo whispered, sounding awed. He shook his head.

“Just...I need to get through this.”

Leo shut his mouth and nodded.

He took a shaky breath. His words from the night before with Carol came flooding back, and suddenly, he knew just what to say.

“I love you, Leo. Every day, I learn something new about you.” He brushed his fingers over the knuckles of Leo’s hand still holding his cup.

“You don’t like the taste of coffee, so you drink it with unholy amounts of sugar to balance it out.” 

He lifted his hand to Leo’s hair, brushing a stray piece out of his eyes. “You use way too much gel because your hair curls at the ends, and you think it looks ‘lame.’”

He moved his hand again, brushing his knuckles over Leo’s cheekbone.

“You broke your nose when you were a kid trying to show off by climbing the highest tree you could find, then again ten years later trying to do the exact same thing.”

Leo chuckled, but it came out as more of a shaky breath against Vincent’s hand. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you that.”

Vincent smiled a little. He pulled his hand away, but let it rest over Leo’s left hand, still laying on the sheets.

“You have so many little pieces that make you you. And I’m so lucky to be able to be one of them.”

As he spoke, his other hand drifted towards his pocket, slowly enough that Leo didn’t notice.

“Things are...different for us, in more ways than one. And I know that this isn’t exactly legal, but when’s that ever stopped us?”

He sat up straight, clutching the box in a shaking hand. He watched as Leo’s eyes trailed down, down, down to his hands; watched them widen with dawning realization as he clicked the box open. He already knew what was inside--a simple platinum band, the exact size of Leo’s ring finger.

“Leo,” he breathed, voice barely a whisper, “will you marry me?”

Silence.

The room was completely silent. Leo was still; Vincent couldn’t even tell if he was breathing. A cold, sick feeling began to form in his stomach.

“...Leo?”

Leo didn’t answer, but Vincent realized with a start that his cheeks were wet, tears catching the dim light of dawn that filtered through the blinds. His face slowly changed, mouth splitting into a wide smile, and his shoulders started to shake as he began to laugh.

The dread was gone as quickly as it had appeared; Vincent could feel the cold weight rising into a warm, fluttery feeling in his chest.

“Leo?” He said again. Leo shook his head, still laughing as he wiped his eyes with the heels of his hands.

“Just--give me a minute, or an hour, or--”

Vincent couldn’t help it; he joined in Leo’s laughter. Tears pricked at the backs of his eyes, but he blinked them away so he could better see Leo.

Leo started to quiet down, but he was still grinning. He gently cupped Vincent’s face in his hand and pulled him in, kissing him so soft and sweet that Vincent felt like he might melt right then and there.

“Yes, you idiot,” Leo murmured against his lips, still smiling as he gave him two more quick pecks before speaking again. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

It took them three different tries to finally pull away from each other enough for Vincent to slide the ring onto Leo’s finger--a perfect fit, as he’d expected. As soon as it was in place, the box was tossed onto the bed beside them, and Leo rolled over so Vincent was laying draped over him. When he held Vincent’s face in his hands, he could feel the cool metal against his wet face, and he couldn’t help but lean down to kiss him again.

A while later, Vincent lay on top of Leo, his head tucked under Leo’s chin. He was beginning to doze off when Leo’s voice cut through the drowsy fog.

“Is that why you’ve been so weird for the last few weeks?”

Vincent frowned, his tired brain slow to catch up. “Huh?”

Leo chuckled; his ring caught the light as he ran a hand through Vincent’s hair.

“You’ve been off for a while now. I didn’t want to ask; I know you’d come to me if you needed me. But I was starting to worry.”

The cogs chugged slowly in Vincent’s mind, until they clicked into place and his eyes shot open.

“You _knew?_ ”

“Not entirely,” Leo reassured, fingers scratching gently at Vincent’s scalp. “But I knew that there was something going on that you needed to work out yourself.”

Vincent grunted, letting himself relax further into Leo.

“I know you too well,” Leo murmured. His voice reverberated through his chest into Vincent’s, low and calming.

“I know you do.” Vincent paused. “Bastard.”

When Leo laughed, Vincent felt it in his bones.


	7. "This, this makes it all worth it"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of a new chapter; a growing family.

Vincent held Leo’s hand the entire short trip from their room, to the elevator, to Linda’s room. The metal band around Leo’s finger was still a jarring sensation, and he couldn’t resist the urge to raise their hands and kiss it. Leo shot him a knowing grin, but he just smiled back and did it again.

The door swung open, and they were greeted by Alex’s gap-toothed grin.

“Hi Daddy, hi Vincent!”

Vincent smiled, squeezing Leo’s hand. “Hey, Alex.”

The first thing that caught Vincent’s eye was a mess of blankets on the side of the room. It took him a moment to realize that they were draped between two beds, forming a half-caved-in fort that Linda was currently crouched in. She looked up when they entered.

“Hey guys--sorry, Alex left the room key in here somewhere, I’m trying to find it before we put the blankets away.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Vincent looked over at Alex, who was not-so-subtly watching them, as if waiting for their opinion. “Nice fort.”

His face lit up. “Thanks! Mommy and I always do this when we go to a hotel.”

“You can’t say ‘always’ when it’s been like, three times,” Linda pointed out from inside the fort.

“Sure you can.” Leo ruffled Alex’s hair, but his hand didn’t leave Vincent’s.

Alex laughed, batting Leo’s hand away. His eyes fell on their joint hands, and he tilted his head.

“What’s that?”

Leo pretended to look at their hands in confusion, but Vincent could see his barely-contained smile. “What’s what?”

Alex poked the ring visible between their fingers. “That. You never wore that before.”

Leo looked down in mock surprise, and Vincent had to stifle a laugh.

“Oh, this?” He looked up to where Linda was still rummaging around inside the fort, raising his voice. “This _ring?_ ”

The rustling paused. Then, Linda poked her head out of the fort.

“What did you say?”

Leo grinned, and he held up their still-linked hands to show her the ring.

Vincent hardly had time to feel uneasy--Linda was Leo’s _ex-wife_ , for god’s sake--before Linda gasped and launched herself out of the fort. She grabbed both of their wrists and jerked their hands up, mouth agape.

“Holy shit!” She exclaimed. Alex shouted something about “bad words,” but she had already wrapped them both in as tight a hug as she could manage.

“Linda--Linda, please, I have internal organs--” Leo grunted, and Vincent wheezed out a laugh.

“You guys! Holy shit!” She pulled away, her face alight, and any worries Vincent had had about awkward feelings were put to rest.

“I’m so happy for you!” She hugged Leo, then Vincent, possibly cracking a few ribs in the process.

“Seriously you guys, this is so awesome. Leo, I told you, if you just get over yourself and--”

She cut herself off, narrowing her eyes at their hands. Vincent let go of Leo’s hand as she grabbed for it, lifting it up to inspect it as if she were looking for something.

“Wait--why is it on your hand?”

Vincent felt Leo stiffen beside him as he tried to understand Linda’s words. When it clicked, his eyes widened, and he slowly turned to look at him.

“Leo…?”

Linda’s mouth fell open. “Oh my god--did you not--”

“I didn’t want to ruin the moment,” Leo said weakly.

“So you...you…”

“I was going to propose.” Leo sounded sheepish, and he was avoiding Vincent’s eyes. “I just...couldn’t find a good time to do it. I got the ring a while back, but I wanted to make it a whole thing, and--”

The rest of his sentence was lost as Vincent grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down into a kiss, surprising himself with his boldness. His heart felt close to overflowing with emotion, and he huffed out a disbelieving laugh against Leo’s lips.

“Ewwwwww!”

They quickly pulled apart. Alex had his hands covering his eyes, his pout barely visible underneath. Linda was watching with crossed arms, an amused smirk on her face.

“You two are perfect for each other,” she said teasingly. “You’re both idiots.”

Vincent cracked up as Leo gave her a dejected look, matching Alex’s pout.

“Oh!”

They all turned to see Alex holding something up, looking pleased with himself.

“It was in my pocket!”

“Is that the room…” Linda trailed off, rubbing her hands over her face.

“Looks like you found the room key,” Leo teased. She socked him on the arm, but she was smiling.

“Alright,” he said, ignoring her punch and checking his watch. “Time to clean up the fort so we can go and meet Carol’s parents.”

Alex whined. “I don’t wanna take it down…”

“Alex--”

“We still have about twenty minutes,” Vincent interjected. He looked at Alex and smiled, gesturing to the tent. “That’s more than enough time for a tour.”

Alex cheered, scampering over to the fort and crawling inside, already chattering excitedly. Vincent caught Linda’s eye, and she shook her head with a poorly-hidden grin.

“It’s been five minutes and you’re already a cooler dad than Leo.”

Leo’s protests were muffled by the blankets of the fort that he was already halfway into.

She gave Vincent another hug, smiling widely when they parted.

“Welcome to the family, Vince.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take it off?”

“For the love of-- _no_ Leo, I don’t want you to take it off.”

“But they’re her grandparents, I don’t want to make it weird--”

“You’re not making it weird. They won’t even notice.”

“Are you--”

“If you ask me if I’m sure one more time, I will kiss you in front of everyone.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?”

Vincent rolled his eyes, and was about to reply when Linda elbowed him in the ribs and raised a hand.

“Hi Judith, hi Frank!”

Carol’s parents waved as they walked up the sidewalk towards where they were standing near the front of the diner. Julie was holding both of their hands, and she bounced excitedly between them when she saw Vincent.

“Daddy!”

He could feel Leo’s proud grin without turning to look.

“Hey there, princess,” he said. Julie sped up, tugging her grandparents behind her, and Vincent crouched down to catch her hug when she let go and toddler-ran into him.

“Julie, honey be careful,” Judith warned.

Vincent stood, holding her against his side. He smiled warmly at them, despite the spark of nervousness at seeing Carol’s dad face-to-face after all this time.

“I hope we’re not late,” Frank said, and Vincent relaxed a little.

“No, not at all,” Linda replied as they all made their way to the front doors. “They serve brunch until like, one in the afternoon here.”

It was a little tricky to find a table for five adults, an excitable kid, and a toddler, but they managed well enough, and soon, their corner of the diner was full of chatter. Linda was pointing out her personal favourites on the menu to Frank and Judith; Alex and Leo were racing to see who could stack the coffee creamers the fastest; Julie was scribbling on the paper kids’ menu, telling Vincent the story of her drawing in her broken toddler-speech. He nodded along, reacting with exaggerated exclamations when appropriate, watching as she pointed out which scribbled shapes were ponies and which were dragons.

Things quieted down a little when they got their orders; at least, until Alex managed to upend the entire ketchup bottle onto his scrambled eggs, as well as half of the table. Vincent volunteered to grab some paper towel from the bathroom, passing Julie to Frank before standing up.

“I’ll come too,” Leo announced, getting up to follow him.

He leaned against the bathroom door as Vincent ran water over a stack of paper towels, holding it open. When Vincent turned to leave, he was staring out into the restaurant, a faraway look on his face.

Vincent joined him, following his gaze to the table. Linda was trying to reprimand Alex without laughing too hard, and Frank and Judith were doing their best to keep Julie out of the ketchup mess.

“We’ve been through some shit.”

His voice was soft, full of emotion. Vincent smiled a little, quickly squeezing his hand.

“We have.”

“It’s been a long road. But this, this makes it all worth it.” Leo gestured vaguely, still smiling fondly at the scene across the diner.

Vincent watched him, emotion swirling in his chest. He loved this man. He was going to marry him.

Leo looked over, as if coming out of a daze.

“We should probably bring those back.”

A squeal made them both turn quickly to look back at the table. Julie was looking down at herself, ketchup down her front, looking confused about how it got there. Alex was holding a pile of napkins that he’d obviously been trying to wipe the ketchup off the table with, looking guilty.

Vincent looked back at Leo.

“We’re going to need more paper towel.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's currently 3 am and I'm exhausted, so I apologize if my notes aren't too coherent. As always, you can follow me on tumblr at https://redex-writes.tumblr.com/ 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. Take care of yourself today, because there are people in this world who love you; whether or not you've met them yet.
> 
> \- Redex


End file.
